After their fatal confrontation with the Skaldi in the Pennsylvania woodlands, Michelle and her fellow survivors travel west in search of a safe haven untouched by the creatures. In her case, Michelle hopes to find the mountains where she and Kareem dreamed of starting a new life.What she finds instead is a country turned into a wasteland, with the Skaldi rapidly replacing the human population. When Michelle learns that she is pregnant, she seeks refuge in the western desert, where she is welcomed by a group of military scientists occupying a heavily fortified base. But there are those among the scientists who are working to develop an even deadlier strain of Skaldi, and Michelle must fight to protect her colony-and her unborn child-before this new terror is unleashed on the world.